Mr. Vice-President, Sir, with your permission and to my great pain and sorrow, I propose to oppose the motion moved by honourable Shrimati Durgabai and oppose it, Sir, with all the vehemence at my command. Sir, I wonder whether we are considering the Draft Constitution of free Independent India clause by clause in all seriousness and solemnity or whether we are rushing through an emergency legislation to be passed by a certain date and if it is not passed by that date, the heavens will fall and the earth will stop moving on its axis. Already, a very large number of amendments have been whipped off and vetoed by the majority party and more will be vetoed by them in future. And now this motion to amend the rules to give more power to the Honourable the President to disallow certain amendments; if that is the attitude, it is possible that he majority party or the party in power may have their own way, but, Sir, it will not be possible to deceive the Indian people that this Constitution has been made by them and for them. We may deceive the world outside, but we cannot certainly deceive our own selves. Because the majority party have got in their hands the proverbial lath they can have the proverbial she-buffalo of their choice, but what about the Indian people and also what about the party in majority too? As I have just said, a very large number of amendments which ought to have been moved by the members of the majority Party have been vetoed. So, there is no democracy even in the majority party, what to say of others, Sir. It is dictatorship of the party bosses pure and simple. I therefore say, Sir, that the motion is not suited to the conditions of the day. I have full faith in the dignity, impartiality and honesty of the Chair and I have every hope that the Chair will uphold the rights of the House. But, Sir, the passing of this motion will mean that we have bid good bye to democracy. Democracy requires that every amendment here, every amendment tabled, must be discussed in all its aspects. There should be no party-whip for not moving amendments. As I have said, Sir, we are not doing anything that can be characterised as an ordinary job. We are considering the Draft Constitution of free, independent India; we are moulding our destiny. So, no amendment which has been tabled should be disallowed. If amendments are vetoed like this, that will be a negative attitude to democracy. I therefore, Sir, appeal in all humility even to the members of the majority party that it is in their own interests as also in the interests of the public, that they insist on moving every amendment and discuss it in all its aspects. By doing that, they will be doing the sacred duty which has been entrusted to them by the Indian people. If, however, they in their intoxication of being in majority, neglect this duty, then they may pass this Constitution as they like but the Indian people will never own that Constitution. As I said on a previous occasion, I repeat once more that this Constitution has not actually been made by the Indian people and it will at best be considered to have been made and passed by only fifteen per cent. representatives of the population of this country and that too by indirect election which in the words of Professor Laski maximises corruption. I therefore hope, Sir, that this House will seriously ponder over this motion and reject it and will give the House an opportunity to discuss and consider in all their aspects all the amendments which have been so far tabled.
